Keepsakes

I'm wearing the dress Modcloth named after me when they made me their "Blogger of the Moment." It's rather wonderful when one is having a less than grand day to throw on a dress that was named in their honor...very surreal. When I started my blog I didn't have any expectations or goals; I just wanted to write a blog. So everything that has come of it is unexpected.

Growing up I never kept a diary, or tried my hand at scrapbooking. The pictures of me from junior high can be counted on one hand; which isn't surprising because before learning to photograph myself, I hated the camera. While I'm generally pleased that those awkward years are behind me and can't be dug up to haunt me, sometimes I do wish I had more proof of the past to jog of my (bad) memory. Now, I'm excited to have such an excellent record of the past couple of years. If I ever feel absent-minded about Greece, I can dig through my archives and find a proper account of my experience. If I ever wonder what I was wearing two years ago, I can go take a peek.

Sometimes I like to think that when I'm old and hunched, I can show this to people and say "you wouldn't know it by looking at me..." Perhaps, I'm too focused on the distant future, but I've stopped cutting up my fashion magazines. My mother never kept her clothes (and I don't know that she even read fashion magazines...), but I often wish that I could loot the closet of her youth. So, I'm making an effort to preserve my magazines so one day I can pass them on to a grand-niece or something. This dress isn't typically what I would imagine as a keepsake piece; I usually think vintage or designer (one day!) as items worth preserving. But a dress named after me? Priceless. This is never leaving my closet...that is until I find the proper person to pass it on to many, many years from now.

"Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones really don't mean a thing." -Norman Lear

128 comments:

I completely understand, before I began my blog there were little photos of me (apart from enforced drunken shots) and I was utterly terrified of the camera. It's nice to have a record of your outfits even if it is slightly narcissistic! And to have a dress named after you...a huge honour! It suits you perfectly :) I'm also always in awe of your neat hair! I don't know how people do it. By owning a hair brush, perhaps..

aw I feel the same way about keepsakes and planning for the future generations of girls who will want the pretty things their mom's used to wear! either way, your children or nieces, or whatever will have plenty of beautiful photos of their mommy or aunt or whatever to look at! Blogs are such a great way of keeping track of how you felt about things and what you wore! really its just like an illustrated journal! perfect!i definitely say you should keep the dress that was named after you! That's a keepsake and a half! :)

Funnily enough I just bought Decembers Vogue (UK) yesterday and one of the articles in it was Vogue's 30 Ultimate Fashion Adventures. No.14 was be the inspiration for a dress. Which I think is pretty much the same as having a dress named after you!

This certainly speaks to me. I have no diary from childhood, accompanied by what might be, the worst memory ever. That is why I started my blog, so I can keep a history of myself and my life to look back on. ps. cute dress

definitely priceless. you'd never imagine that happening to you. nothing that exciting like that has ever happened to me but i can definitely relate. i still have my prom dress with me and i don't want to part with it until i have my own kids (lol). maybe they'll used it, noh?

I love all the things my parents and grandparents have from their youth....but I just can't hold on to magazines that long, every once in a while I get fed up with all the crap in my house and just do a major purge!

You look fantastic.., and your feelings are so pure..I've always been a camwhore myself, so I have lots and lots of photos of my life.But my mum.., ohh she threw all her clothes away, I could only save two fantastic dresses from the 70s, and that's all.I keep telling her not to throw away things without my permission.. xDD

What a lovely, sentimental post. I feel the same, it's nice to have a record of everything easily on hand. and I definitely have things I would one day like to pass along to my future daughters or grand-daughters!

But who knows, maybe in 10 years I will look back on my blog and cringe like I do with my high school diaries! hehe!

Oh, that dress is wonderful!! Too bad they don't have my size anymore. :( I'm about to post another ring from The Quotation and I just bought a pair of shoes from the thrift store like yours but in white!

oh, this is so lovely! you're right, having a dress named after oneself sounds terribly exciting. it'll make a wonderful keepsake! and your blog is SUCH a delight. i'm always too shy to really post about my life, but yours sounds awfully nice.

This is such a sweetly honest post! I feel cheesy saying it, but I'm sort of moved by your post! It reminds me of this part in the movie The Tin Drum, when Oskar is invited by a circus performer to join the circus and become famous and hook up with girls and Oskar says, "No thanks, I'd rather let my little art flower in secret," and then a few years later, he ends up joining the circus and falling in love!

Its totally awesome that you have a dress named after you. I love it too. Plus the coat is very cute! I hate throwing out my stuff, but the other half doesn't understand why I want to keep it. But I curse my mother ever time I see something in a vintage shop and she says 'I had one juts like that but in blue (etc)' it is so damn annoying! So I don't wanna throw any clothing away coz maybe my daughter (if I have one) will hopefully get the vintage gene, and wanna wear my old clothing!

That dress is lovely! I know what you mean about passing on clothes to future children or someone else. I sometimes look at my clothes and think that I'll keep these forever so one day someone else can enjoy them too. Luckily my mom kept a couple things from her closet and let me have what she doesn't wear anymore. I too don't want to cut up magazines because I keep thinking that they'll be valuable in the future and I can give them to someone.

So amazing that you're shared this with us.I really do know what you mean. I'm not someone who has blogged for a very long time,but its so amazing that what blogs can bring about and the friendship too.

And to have a dress or anything named after you its a huge honor. If don't think I would ever give this dress to anyone! heeeee

my mom never kept anything either, and I wish all the time that I could dig through clothes she had in high school. I'm keeping as much of my clothing as possible, because I figure someday it'll all be vintage!

Somedays when I'm feeling a bit sluggish about writing somthing up for my blog I think of some one my favorites and this one is the top of my list. Everyblog started out as just someone wanting to put somthing out into the world. Maybe only a couple people read what someone had to say, maybe its a couple thousand but putting it out there is what matters. Maybe some day I'll get a dress named after me!

i have kept a blog since seventh grade (though now all those entries are private ... haha) and recently my friend has been asking me if i will keep up with it after graduating from college. at first i thought i wouldnt, but now i honestly cannot imagine not having a blog. it's just so apart of my routine and even journaling cant replace it.

Hey!This dress is absolutely gorgeous. How lucky you are to have it named after you! I read your blog daily and really admire your fashion sense and creativity. I recently started a blog, if you get a chance check it out!www.antiquatedtreasures.blogspot.com

beauty of a dress, what an honor to have a piece of clothing named after you :) i looove hwo you paired it with a big bow, sooo cute :)i totally feel u about the whole blog thing though, i looove that i have pics of all my outfits now tho, its sooo fun, like a photo diary

it's so cool that your blog did such great things for you! I wish I took more pictures of myself as well (I still don't take many pictures of myself...I blame it on my crappy camera). it's good that you've grown comfortable in front of the camera :)

I know exactly how you feel about wanting to save everything for future generations. My mom saved some things which now reside in my closet, but looking at old pictures of her, I wish she'd saved more. That dress really is special.

By the way, I'm have a little contest thingie (the prize is a surprise) on my blog. You should enter if you want.

your gifs are always so endearing. I really like the headband, it looks like it'd be fit for royalty! I don't cut up my magazines either, i feel bad and I hate flipping through when chunks are cut out.

That headband...oooh I want it! I can totally understand if that dress remains in your family forever. I mean, it has your name! That's pretty awesome.

I also see my blog as a kind of diary. Things from the past can fade from one's memory rather fast. Last month I reread all the things people wrote in my American yearbook and there were at least two people I didn't remember any more - at all. Rather embarrassing.

I tihnk that a dress named after you will be a pretty amazing thing to pass on. I have a collection of 'special' magazines that I am definitely keeping so I can look through them one day in the future, or pass them on to my children should I have any.

Like you I never really had any expectations for my blog, but since then blogging has brought so many great things and great people into my life which I never thought was possible.

You are absolutely lovely. I am a newebie blogger who was born in 1964, and I loooove fashion. I own pieces from my Jr.High years, and I too threw away precious mags. Now I at least keep the fall,spring,holiday ones. Vogue is my fav! I am trying to entic women over 40 to keep fashion alive! My mother was a seamstress who made most of my clothes, and at the time I felt jilted. Now I wish I had them all. You will indeed pass down a special legacy to your daughter with this diary!

so amazing to have a dress named after you! :) this was a great post to read. i hope one day i can pass some of my own things down to someone! it's good having so many photos, so easy to relive the memories!

I agree that's it's nice to have a way to look back at things. My mom always brags about all these old wardrobe items of hers I would like if she still had them- if only I had a way to take a peak ;) Though I do agree with Amelia- I wonder if I'll be embarrassed.

Lovely as usual- I especially adore that green jacket and the headband!

Hi! thanks for visiting my blog. The picture you were referring to is an editorial called "Paris, Je t'aime" shot by Steven Meisel in Vogue September 2007. It was also styled by Grace Coddington, my favorite, and feature in "the september issue". You can find the images here:http://www.vogue.com/voguedaily/?attachment_id=2972(I hope this is the image you're referring to, if not, I've updated all my pics with info)

On pictures from junior high and high school I'm the same as you, and I often think it's a bit sad... And it's the same with my mother's closet...she didn't keep anything from her youth. I don't want to do the same!!

That ring is divine. And I love the green jacket, as I mentioned before at BlogMeetBlog. I know Kam said the sleeves should be taken in, and I do love the button details, but I love how the cuff shows off the lining.

what a great sentiment! I only have a couple little things that were my moms (or grandmothers) and nothing super noteworthy so the idea of giving my favorite things to someone down the line is really cool.